Tyron Henderson blazed his way to another match-winning innings to send the Warriors to their second successive victory when they defeated the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins by six wickets in their Standard Bank Pro20 Series cricket match at St George’s Park on Wednesday.
Sent in to bat by Warriors captain Pieter Strydom, the Dolphins reached 140 for eight in their 20 overs, to which the home side replied with 143 for four with 14 balls remaining.
Complementing Henderson’s explosive 44 off 24 balls (four fours, two sixes) was a brilliant cameo from Arno Jacobs, who slaughtered the Natal bowlers for 35 off 11 balls (three sixes and three fours) just when the visitors had a remote whiff of victory as the Warriors stuttered from 100 for one to 106 for four.
South Africa’s premier bowler, Shaun Pollock, bowled his four overs up front and conceded only 18 runs, but once he was out of the attack, none of the Natalians could stem the tide.
Henderson, who was also man of the match against the Lions on Friday, and opener Justin Kreusch, who played a key role with his 40 off 41 deliveries, added 56 in six overs for the second wicket, and then Jacobs finished it off in style by hitting the fourth delivery of the 18th over out of the ground for a superb victory.
The Warriors survived a terrific onslaught from Pollock to deliver a commendable effort in restricting the Dolphins to their final total of 140. The visitors were 76 for two off the first 10 overs and in fact slowed down in the second half to score 64 from the final 10.
It was the result of a crucial burst of three wickets in 13 balls as the Natalians slipped from 77 for two to 84 for five. That spell included the wicket of Pollock, who had smashed the Warriors bowlers all around the field with contemptuous ease in making 49 off 36 balls (five fours, two sixes).
But he failed get hold of a lofted drive off Robin Peterson to be safely caught by Brent Kops at long-off, and from then on the Warriors spinners again played their part by keeping the shackles on the Dolphins batsmen.
Ahmed Amla contributed an invaluable 47 off 38 balls, but no other batsman managed to score at the rate required to test the Warriors batsmen.
The Warriors will be hoping to continue their momentum when they face the Eagles in their final match in Bloemfontein on Sunday, while the Dolphins, who cannot make the semifinals, play Western Province-Boland in Durban on Friday. — Sapa